At Longmeadow we believe that all our children can become fluent readers and writers. This is why we teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a systematic synthetic phonics programme. We start teaching Little Wandle Foundations in our Nursery and then, from Reception, we follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school.

It is important that children are motivated to read at home regularly. When their reading opportunities increase, so does their fluency and stamina which in turn increases their enjoyment of reading.

The writing curriculum at Longmeadow Primary School is sequenced to ensure pupils build up the skills and knowledge they need to become confident and fluent. Our approach focusses on immersing pupils in a text or experience, supported with discussion and key vocabulary, that serve them well when it comes to write.

We have chosen HFL Education’s Essential Writing as the basis of our writing curriculum for years 1-6. We also model the application of the alphabetic code through phonics in shared reading and writing, both inside and outside of the phonics lesson and across the curriculum.

We have a strong focus on language development for our children because we know that speaking and listening are crucial skills for reading and writing in all subjects.

Tesco has kindly donated books to our school. Here we are enjoying them: